1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an arrangement for the connection of an intermediate repeater for submarine cables, whereby the intermediate repeater is looped into the signal lines of the main cable and is connected to supply lines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The utilization of intermediate repeaters is absolutely necessary in order to regenerate the signals at defined intervals in the transmission of signals over greater distances by means of a submarine cable, particulary in light waveguide technology. Previous submarine cable technology has provided partially flexible, pressure-resistance joint boxes for the intermediate repeaters, these joint boxes being spliced into the submarine cable to be supplied in tensile fashion, pressure-resistant and with suitable insulation for the current conductors (supply lines). This technology that has remained unaltered for many years, in fact, has the advantage of being able to lay intermediate repeaters and cables as a unit, but has a serious disadvantage given repairs required at the intermediate repeater of having to raise the same together with the cable proceeding on the ocean floor. In addition, it makes it indispensible to build the repeater in a compact and flexible fashion, so that extremely difficult and involved developments are necessary in order to being it into the required, oblong, space-saving shape. Particularly given repeaters for optical systems, one must count on a limited life expectancy of the transmitting laser diodes that will require maintenance work at the intermediate repeaters. On the other hand, the repeater spacing is constantly increasing with the development of decreasing fiber attenuation and increasing diode transmission powers, so that the utilization of the transmission diodes, in fact, becomes higher, but the overall maintenance expense is more likely to decrease.